


Robin's Return:  Bart

by sageness



Series: Robin's Return [1]
Category: DCU, Teen Titans
Genre: Canon - Comics, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-08-08
Updated: 2004-08-08
Packaged: 2017-10-03 14:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sageness/pseuds/sageness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But you missed so much!  Gar lost his powers and a whole school full of little kids got them instead.  And Kon and Cassie are dating, except they're not <i>just</i> dating, they're like even doing it and stuff.  They're totally impossible to be around, and you weren't here!  And I can only hang out with Raven and Gar so much, you know?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Robin's Return:  Bart

"You're back!!!" Bart yelled. After he pounced. Or possibly the sound waves simply caught up to his superspeed tackle. With a laugh, Tim picked himself up off the rooftop and patted Bart on the shoulder. "We were worried! And you didn't tell us anything. Do you have any idea how incredibly rude that was? We were so worried! And Kon wouldn't tell us anything except that you were okay. Not that that wasn't a relief, but we were worried!"

"He couldn't," Tim answered. "It's a long story, but everything's fine now."

"But you missed so much! Gar lost his powers and a whole school full of little kids got them instead. And Kon and Cassie are dating, except they're not _just_ dating, they're like even doing it and stuff. They're totally impossible to be around, and you weren't here! And I can only hang out with Raven and Gar so much, you know? Besides, she and Gar have this thing, too, even though they're not nearly as lovey-dovey as...but maybe that's just hormones or something and do you know how much it _sucks_ to feel like a fifth wheel? It's _so_ annoying!"

Bart disappeared before Tim could speak and reappeared sipping a powershake. "Sorry. Didn't mean to freak out."

"Bart, what's really—"

"Mm, later," Bart replied with a frown as Kon, Cassie, Kory and Vic burst through the roof door, bearing down on them in a gale of shouted greetings.

* * *

"Nice board," Tim said the following evening, kicking Bart's skateboard up to examine its wheels. "I used to have one like this, except it was red."

"You did? Really?" Bart asked.

Tim stood poised at the edge of the ramp. "You mind?"

"No way! Go for it!"

Tim balanced on the board and shoved off. Nothing else in the world felt like freefall, and the high grade composite wheels absorbed the shock of landing beautifully, without killing his momentum up the opposite slope. He could imagine Bart spending hours and hours of relative time out here, soaring back and forth. It felt great, and he said so when he finally rolled to a stop.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool," Bart answered.

Tim laid down the board and sat next to him on the bowl's narrow ledge. For a long moment, they did nothing but stare out over the city's skyline. "So, what's up?" Tim finally asked.

Bart was chewing his lip and tapping his fingers rapidly against his shin. "I can't stop thinking about Rose," he said, making a frustrated face. "When she was a Titan, she tried so hard to do right, but when I saw how she was around Deathstroke..." Bart broke off, kicking his feet. "I got so _angry_!"

"I'm not sure the old Rose is in there anymore."

"I know Deathstroke is psychotic, but it makes me sick that he did this to his own daughter! He's only using her as a weapon."

"Until she outlives her usefulness to him. That's what he does."

"And Jericho _shot_ me," Bart said, voice rising. "Do you have any idea what knee replacement surgery feels like with no anesthesia and full time dilation?" Bart rubbed his prosthetic kneecap for emphasis. "It was...I can't even describe it."

"Living hell?" Tim asked dryly.

Bart snorted. "Times a bazillion."

"You were already gone by the time we got to the hospital."

"I couldn't wait, you know? Talking it out at normal human speed would have driven me completely insane." Tim nodded and Bart went on, "It's so freaky. I mean, in relative time, I'm older than all of you put together—plus the thirtieth century thing—but some things I just don't get."

Tim looked at him curiously. "Like what?"

"Like why people waste so much time!" Bart stood up and apparently zipped around the half-pipe's shell a few hundred times. It took all of several seconds. Back at Tim's side with the fingertips of his gloves covered in dry paint, he continued, "I know I do it too, but it matters a lot less when it's too fast for anyone to see."

Tim didn't have anything useful to say in response, and it seemed like Bart mostly just needed someone to listen. Tim leaned over the edge of the platform and inspected the fresh mural. "Nice work."

"Thanks, I'm getting better. You know, even if Rose weren't pumped full of psycho-drugs, I don't think she'd even look at me. Everyone still sees Impulse. Nobody sees Kid Flash yet...not even Kon, and definitely not Cassie. She still thinks I'm a kid."

"I guess it wouldn't help for me to say 'give it time?' " Tim asked with an ironic twist to his mouth.

Bart laughed. "Not a lot." After a short pause he said, "So...what do you see?"

"Kid Flash," Tim answered without hesitation.

"Yeah, but what does that mean?"

Tim studied him for a moment. "It's hard to describe. You're not the same as you were a year ago."

"Hope not. That would be like saying you're not the same as you were back in first grade."

"True."

"I'm really glad you're back. I know I said that before, but dude, it's been nuts without you here."

"Cassie and Kon, huh?" Tim said in a low voice.

"Yeah." Bart sighed heavily.

"It's been a pretty awkward weekend."

Bart looked up. "You know what the worst part is?"

"Hm?"

"Never mind." Bart blipped away, and then reappeared. "I just put lasagna in the oven. It should be ready in thirty minutes."

"You made lasagna?" Tim asked evenly.

"Nope. Aunt Joan made it for me to bring. It's been thawing out for like forever."

"Ah."

"Also," Bart said, blipping out and back again, "here." He held up a red skateboard and handed it over to Tim.

"Oh, cool!" Tim stood up and began testing its balance. Bart was already crouched on the matching blue one, airborne.

Twenty-five minutes later, they paused to watch a brilliant orange sun sink into the Pacific. Tim's cape settled around him while the wind ruffled his hair. "It's that you don't know which one of them you're more jealous of. Isn't it?"

Bart shot him a surprised glare, but didn't answer.

"Come on," Tim said with a grim nod, "let's go see if dinner's ready."


End file.
